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Identities released of two men killed in plane crash

Emergency personnel confer at the site where a single-engine aircraft crash landed in a wooded area near 7th Avenue and Clark Street in Gary, Ind. Wednesday October 3, 2012. Officials said the plane originated in Smyrna, Tenn. and was bound for the Gary Jet Center. At least one person is confirmed dead. (AP Photo/Post-Tribune, Stephanie Dowell)

Smoke from burning debris hangs in the air as emergency personnel gather at the site where a single-engine aircraft crash landed in a wooded area near 7th Avenue and Clark Street in Gary, Ind. Wednesday October 3, 2012. Officials said the plane originated in Smyrna, Tenn. and was bound for the Gary Jet Center. At least one person is confirmed dead. (AP Photo/Post-Tribune, Stephanie Dowell)

Update -

The Lake County Coroner has identified the plane crash victims as Vincent Vaccarello and Patsy Crisafi, both of St. Augustine, according to a news release.

Previous version:

A St. Johns County businessman could be one of two men killed after a private plane his company owned crashed in Gary, Ind., on Wednesday.

The plane was registered to Gandy Air LLC of St. Augustine, but as of Thursday officials had not released the names of the two victims, pending notification of families.

Managing member of Gandy Air is Patsy J. Crisafi, according to business records. The company has an address on Ryan Road.

The Cirrus SR22 single-engine plane crashed into the woods behind West Gary Lighthouse Charter School around 11:18 a.m. on Wednesday and burst into flames.

The victims had not been identified as of Thursday, said Jessica Metros, administrative officer for the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Ed Wuellner, executive director at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Johns County, confirmed that Crisafi has had a hangar at the airport since 2008, but he said he did not know Crisafi personally.

Crisafi is listed as the executive vice president for Roadway Worker Training of Jacksonville, president of Crisafi Services and director of Railroad Protective Services, according to business records.

Stephen Ramsey, who is listed as a business associate, declined to comment and would not confirm whether Crisafi was on the plane. Another person listed on the business records declined to comment.

The Cirrus SR22 left the Northeast Florida Regional Airport around 3 p.m. on Tuesday and was scheduled to arrive in Smyrna, Tenn., around 5:30 p.m., according to flight records.

Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Director John Black said he didn’t know who owned the plane or who might have been onboard, according to the Associated Press. He said the plane arrived at the airport Tuesday night and departed Wednesday morning.

The plane was enroute from Smyrna to the Gary/Chicago International Airport when it crashed, according to the Gary Police Department.

Investigators have said the plane did not send a distress signal before crashing, according to First Coast News.

Lake County Coroner’s Office officials removed the bodies of two men from the wreckage around 5:35 p.m. Wednesday.

Delores Hinton, who lives nearby and saw the crash, said the plane “exploded in the air” over her house, according to the Associated Press. “I said, ‘What was that?’ The next thing I know, it was down,” she said.

Gary Police Department spokeswoman Cpl. Gabrielle King said there was not an update to the investigation as of Thursday evening.

Cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.